Pollen Ingestion by Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) Adults in a Diversified Organic Agroecosystem.

Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) larvae prey on pest insects and mites in agroecosystems, and adults mainly feed on pollen, nectar, and honeydew. Therefore, preserving this lacewing in crop systems depends on having plants that provide these resources. The objectives of this research were to identify pollen grains ingested by Ch. externa adults collected in a diversified organic agroecosystem and to evaluate whether there is a difference in the amount of ingested pollen grains between males and females. The adults of Ch. externa were collected in four different crops during 13 months in Seropédica, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using a collecting net. The adults were killed and underwent acetolysis, in order to recover the pollen in the gut. A total of 37,441 pollen grains from 19 Angiospermae families were found, besides 16 Pteridophyte spores. Among the recognized pollen grains, those of Poaceae were the majority, both in frequency of occurrence (87.5%) and in quantity (33496), and were found and recovered in every month of collection. Females and males ingested, respectively, 71.9 and 28.1% of the total number of Angiospermae pollen grains consumed by both sexes. The highest number of Poaceae pollens was obtained from the females (72.1% of the total number of Poaceae pollen, recovered from females + males). Taken as a whole, this study showed that adults of Ch. externa find possibilities to maintain throughout the year, in different crops, but the main source of pollen to males and females was Poaceae plants.

Atividade antimicrobiana dos extratos metanólicos da raiz, caule e folhas de Croton pulegioides Baill. (Zabelê) / Antimicrobial activity of methanol extracts of root, stem and leaves of Croton pulegioides Baill

O uso popular de plantas medicinais continua sendo de grande interesse para a população, principalmente em países em desenvolvimento, nos quais o acesso à medicina alopática ainda é muito restrito. Assim, além de sua importância na medicina tradicional, o conhecimento das plantas pode fornecer para a indústria farmacêutica, direta ou indiretamente, princípios ativos de interesse terapêutico. No presente trabalho foi avaliada a atividade antimicrobiana dos extratos metanólicos secos de Croton pulegioides Baill. obtidos a partir da raiz, do caule e das folhas nas concentrações de 25, 50 e 100mg/mL utilizando o método de difusão em Agar (técnica de poços) frente a cinco cepas Gram-positivas, três cepas de fungos e três cepas de bactérias Gram-negativas. Na execução do estudo foi utilizado o antibiótico Gentamicina (100µg/mL) no teste com bactérias, e Cetoconazol (300µg/mL) para as Candidas verificando-se, ao mesmo tempo, a ausência de atividade para o diluente DMSO 20% em água. Na observação dos resultados evidenciaram-se halos de inibição indicando atividade dos extratos metanólicos da raiz, caule e folhas, nas concentrações de 50 e 100mg/ml, frente Bacillus subtilis AM 04; dos extratos metanólicos da raiz e do caule, nas concentrações de 50 e 100mg/ml, frente Staphylococcus aureus AM 103 (ATCC 6538); e do extrato metanólico do caule, nas concentrações de 50 e 100mg/ml, frente S. epidermidis AM 235. Por outro lado, todos os extratos foram inativos nas concentrações avaliadas frente às bactérias Gram-negativas utilizadas no estudo (Pseudomonas aeruginosa AM 206, Escherichia coli AM 1050 e Klebsiella pneumoniae AM 410). Referente à atividade sobre fungos, os extratos metanólicos da raiz e do caule inibiram, nas três concentrações avaliadas, o crescimento de Candida tropicalis AM 1181 e C. albicans AM 1140, enquanto o extrato das folhas, inibiu o crescimento de C. tropicalis AM 1181 nas concentrações de 50 e 100mg/ml e de C. albicans AM 1140 apenas na concentração de 100mg/mL. Finalmente o extrato metanólico das folhas, na concentração de 100mg/mL, foi o único a inibir o crescimento de Candida krusei. Os resultados preliminares apresentados pelo presente trabalho sugeriram que a espécie Croton pulegioides Baill. apresentou resultados promissores quanto ao potencial antimicrobiano.

The employment of medicinal plants as a folk custom remains important to the present time, mainly in developing countries, where access to allopathic medicine is restricted. Besides their importance in traditional medicine, the knowledge on these plants can, directly or indirectly, provide information about the active ingredients involved, which may be of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. The present study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of dried methanolic extracts of Croton pulegioides Baill, extracted from its roots, stalk, and leaves, at the concentrations of 25, 50 and 100mg/ml. These were diffused in wells with an Agar medium, to which five strains of Gram-positive, three strains of fungi and three strains of Gram-negative bacteria had been added. For this study, the antibiotic Gentamicin (10µg/100µL) was used in tests with bacteria, and Ketoconazole (30µg/100µL), with Candidas. When DMSO diluted in 20% water was used, no activity was observed. The results produced evidence of inhibition halos, which indicates the activity of the methanolic extracts from the roots, stalk and leaves at the concentrations of 50 and 100 mg/ml for Bacillus subtilis AM 04; activity of the methanolic extracts from the roots and stalk at the concentrations of 50 and 100mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus AM 103 (ATCC 6538); and activity of the methanolic extract from the stalk at the concentrations of 50 and 100mg/ml for Staphylococcus epidermidis AM 235. There was no activity in the concentrations studied for the Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa AM 206, Escherichia coli AM 1050 and Klebsiella pneumoniae AM 410). With respect to fungal activity, the methanolic extracts from the roots and stalk inhibited Candida tropicalis AM 1181 and C. albicans AM 1140 at the three concentrations studied. The extract from the leaves inhibited the growth of C. tropicalis AM 1181 at the concentrations of 50 e 100mg/ml and C. albicans AM 1140 only at the concentration of 100mg/ml. Finally, the methanolic extract from the leaves, at the concentration of 100mg/ml, was the only one to inhibit the growth of Candida krusei. Preliminary results from this study suggest that the Croton pulegioides Baill showed promising results as a potential antimicrobial agent.

[5-Fluoro (3H) pyrimidine-4-ones: synthesis, reactivity and pharmacological properties]. / 5-Fluoro (3H) pyrimidine-4-ones: synthèse, réactivité et propriétés pharmacologiques.

Fourteen fluoro pyrimidine-4-ones, four fluoro bispyrimidine-4-ones and two fluoro pyrimidine-4-ones with fused ring have been prepared. The reactivity of the carbonyl group of two pyrimidine-4-ones phosphorus oxychloride was studied. The 4-chloro pyrimidines reacted with ammonia or morpholine giving 4-substituted pyrimidines. Eight compounds are evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and anti-convulsivant properties: they were found to be weakly active against oedema and three of them protected rats form tonic convulsions.

Derivados flavonoides indutores da benzo (A) pireno-hidroxilase. Parte II: sintese da 4'-cloro-beta-naftoflavona. / Flavonoid derivates inducers of benz (g) pyrene hydroxylase.Part II: synthesis of 4'-chloro-betanaphthoflavone

Com vistas a futura avaliacao como agente antineoplasico, foi sintetizada a 4'-cloro -beta-naftoflavona, dotada de provavel atividade indutora sobre a benzo (a) pireno -hidroxilase. O flavonoide-obtido em quatro etapas, a partir de 2-naftol-teve sua estrutura comprovada, ao lado das de intermediarios, por analise espectrometrica (massa e rmm) e/ou espectrofotometrica (UV e IV)